Ventilated rubber cushion heel pad



March 16, 1937. w. .1. DWYER 2,074,050

VENTILATED RUBBER CUSHION HEEL PAD Filed Nov. 25, 1935 MINI@ I77 7 IINVENTOR,

WILL IAM D WYE/Q.

ATTOR YS Y Anobject of my invention is to provide a the rear portion ofa standard shoe indicated `5 and extends through the inner and outersoles recess has its lower surface shaped as a. portion 10 `35 to astandard shoe with but a slight alteration the rubber Gush-i011 iSDlaCed in the reeeSS and 35 Patented Mar. 16, 1,937 Y 2,074,050

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,074,050 VENTILATED RUBBER CUSHION HEEL PADWilliam J. Dwyer, San Francisco, Calif. Application November 25, 1935,Serial No. 51,419 1 Claim. (Cl. 36-3) My invention relates toimprovements in ven- Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rubbertilated rubber cushion heel pads, and it consists cushion' and heel padshown in inverted posiof the combinations, constructions andarrangetion.

ments hereinafter described and claimed. In carrying out my invention Ihave illustrated ventilated rubber cushion i heel pad which is generallyat l, and this shoe is provided with placed in a recess hollowed out in.the heel an inner sole 2, an outer sole 3, and a heel 4. of a standardshoe.' The recess is preferably A recess 5 is cut into the inner sole 2,the provided with a portion of a spherical surface outer sole 3, anddown into the heel 4. This and down intothe heel portion of the shoe. ofa sphere which lower surface is bounded by The device itself is madefrom resilient maa vertical circular rim, and the recess is positerialsuchas rubber, and has an under surface tiOIied in the ShOe SO- aS t0lie directly belO-W yconforming with the spherical surface of the theheel of the wearer.

recess.` The upper. surface is provided with a The rubber Cushion isShown at 6 in Figure 1. Ll5 slight depression, and if desired the `heelpad This Cushion has an under Surface 7, see Figure of the shoe maybecemented to the upper sur- 3J that has the Seme Spherical shape as theface. recess 5. The rubber cushion has an edge `I3 One of the principalfeatures of the invention designed to contact with the rim of the recessis the provision of grooves in the under surface 5. The under surface 1is provided with two 20 of the pad, these grooves crossing each othergrooves 8 and 9 that intersect each other at and cooperating with thewall of the recess right angles aS ShOWn in Figure 3. The upper forproviding air conduits. During the walksurface I0 of `the rubber cushionis hollowed ing operation the pad is alternately compressed OutSlightly, and if desired a heel Dad H may and expanded, and this willcreate an alternate be cemented thereto. Figure 1 shows the heel 25compression and suction within the conduits Dad extending beyond theCirculer edge 0f the whereby air is forced out and sucked into theCllShiOn- The heel pad is preferably made of space between the pad andthe heel, thereby leather. keeping the pad cool. From the foregoingdescription of the various The principal weight of the person is borneparts of the device, the operation thereof may 30 by the heels, and thepad is placed directly be readily understood. beneath the heels so thata resilient support As already stated, the device can be attached willbe aorded. The device is extremely simt0 any standard shoe. The recess 5is formed ple in construction, and can be quickly added n the shoe asdescribed and shown, and then being necessary in the latter. The recessin the heel pad will overlie the cushion and a the heel is formed in thecenter of the heel, portion of the inner sole. When the cushion andtherefore it does not interfere with the 6 iS het Supporting the Weight0f the wearer. nails or other fastening means used for sethe rim I3willhave its upper portion prOjeCting curing the heel to the shoe, sincethese fastenabOVe the top of the inner sole. When the 40 ing means aredisposed adjacent to the marginal Cushion 6 Supports the wearer it willbe deedges cf the heel, pressed until its upper surface liessubstantially Other Objects. and advantages will appear in uSh With thetOp Of the l'llller S018. The Cushthe following specification, and thenovel 4feai011 6 Will Compress under the Weight of the tures of thedevice will be particularly pointed wearer because the cushion is made0f rubber, 45

, out in the appended claim. The gI'OOVBS 8 and 9 aid in permitting theMy invention is illustrated in the accompany.. cushion to be depressedinto the recess 5 because ing drawing forming a party of thisapplication, they DIOVide Space fOr receiving the under Surin which- Yface 1 as it is enlarged during the actual com- Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a standard pressing of the cushion. The rim I3 contacts 50shoe shown partly in section, and illustrates how with the rim of therecess during the depressing the rubber cushion is disposed in the heelrecess; of the cushion and prevents the dislodgement Figure 2 is a planView of Figure 1 and illusof the cushion from the recess. trates indotted lines the position of the rubber During the walking operation thepersons cushion; and heel will compress the cushion as a step is 55being taken, and this will partially collapse the walls of the grooves 8and 9, and drive air from these grooves and out beneath the heel pad. Atthe end of the step the persons heel is lifted away from the pad orcushion 6, and this will permit the cushion to resume its normal shape.The walls of the grooves 8 and 9 will also return to normal position anda. suction will be created in the grooves which will draw in additionalair from around the heel pad H, and this air will ow into the grooves 8and 9. The result will be a pulsating flow of air beneath the rubbercushion, and this flow of air will have a cooling eiect on the deviceand prevent it from becoming overheated through use. It should be notedthat air is free to pass between the inner sole 2 and the heel pad Ilduring the pulsation of air beneath the heel pad. The grooves 8 and 9therefore perform the double function of acting as air conduits and alsoaffording space for receiving the compressed cushion when a personsweight is placed on the cushion. The edge I3 of the cushion ridingagainst the rim of the recess 5 acts in much the same manner as a pistonin a cylinder. The recess rim guides the cushion rim as the cushion isalternately compressed and expanded during the walking operation. Thecushion rim at all times contacts with the recess rim and prevents thecushion from being forced out of the recess.

When a person is standing his heels will rest directly on the rubbercushions, and there will be a more resilient support afforded than ispossible with a standard shoe. The feet will therefore not become tiredas quickly and in this way the device lessens fatigue.

The device can be removed at will, and repaired or a new devicesubstituted, and this can be done without the need of any special tools,

etc. As already stated the recess 5 is formed to enter the center of theheel 4, and therefore the fastening means such as nails I2 will not beinterfered with since these nails are disposed near the edge of the heel4.

I am well aware of cushions being 'placed in a shoe but these aredisposed on top of the inner sole, and throw the entire foot out ofalignment because they raise the heel above the place it should occupyin the shoe. I am not aware, however, of a ventilated heel cushiondisposed in the recess in the heel, the upper surface of the cushionlying substantially flush With the inner bottom surface of the shoe.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should beunderstood that various changes or modifications may be made within thescope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

I claim:

The combination with a shoe and a heel, said heel having a centrallydisposed recess with its lower surface shaped as a portion of a sphereand with its upper margin shaped as a cylindrical rim, of a resilientpad mounted in the recess, said pad having a spherical surfacecontacting with the spherical surface of the recess, said pad also beingprovided with a cylindrical rim slidably mounted in the cylindrical rimof the recess, the spherical surface of the pad being provided with twointersecting grooves that cooperate with the recess wall for forming airconveying conduits, the grooves also receiv ing portions of the pad whenthe latter is compressed thereby permitting a more ready depressing ofthe pad, and the recess rim guiding the pad rim during the compressingand expanding of the pad.

WILLIAM J. DWY'ER.

